Dorothy L. Gilpatrick receives Union College Alumni
Distinguished Service Award

Former Oak Ridge teacher honored for lifetime of community service

Dorothy "Dotty" Gilpatrick, a retired 28-year veteran of Oak Ridge City Schools, was honored with the Union College Alumni Distinguished Service Award on October 20 at a ceremony held during the Homecoming alumni banquet. Gilpatrick, also known for her long-time civic leadership at the League of Women Voters, recently relocated with her husband to Maryland to be near their daugher.

After earning her degree in Early Childhood Education from Union in 1937, Dotty taught for 28 years in the Oak Ridge, Tennessee city school system, including being one of the first Headstart preschool teachers in the early days of that program.

After retiring in 1982, Dotty was an active member of the Oak Ridge Retired Teachers Association, serving on the Executive Board and chairing numerous working committees.
Dotty's devotion to young people and passion for education extended to her civic involvement as well, most notably with the League of Women Voters, where she founded the "Partners in Education" initiative, a national program that encourages businesses to partner with local schools or sponsor specific programs. Dotty was also instrumental in establishing "The Parenting Center," a child care facility for teen mothers at Oak Ridge High School, as well as "Kids Voting," a citizenship education program that teaches kids the values of exercising our voting rights. In 1992, the Oak Ridge Kiwanis Club publicly recognized Dotty's many successes by naming her "Children's Hero."

An active member of her church for over 50 years, Dotty was also a tireless volunteer, serving 10 years as a phone crisis counselor, 20 years as a monitor for the local Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic studio, plus being a Hospice and "Pink Lady" volunteer at the Methodist Medical Center.

Union College is a learning community dedicated to creating personal, intellectual, and social transformation through the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, service, and spiritual growth. Founded in 1879, the College in affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

November 19, 2001

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